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Hot Box: TV worth talking about

Sitcom Set May Get Refill: The Saskatchewan government is wading into the debate over the Corner Gas set. Officials in Rouleau, where it was filmed, have complained the filling station set is falling into disrepair, but the show's producers say it would be expensive to renovate. Saskatchewan Tourism Minister Dustin Duncan will host a meeting next Tuesday at which he says he hopes a compromise can be reached.

Wed., July 15, 2009

Sitcom Set May Get Refill: The Saskatchewan government is wading into the debate over the Corner Gas set. Officials in Rouleau, where it was filmed, have complained the filling station set is falling into disrepair, but the show's producers say it would be expensive to renovate. Saskatchewan Tourism Minister Dustin Duncan will host a meeting next Tuesday at which he says he hopes a compromise can be reached.

Lead Doc Cast: The X-Men's Shawn Ashmore will star in the TV adaptation of the Giller Prize-winning book Bloodletting & Miraculous Cures. Ashmore, 29, will portray Fitz, a troubled air-ambulance doctor with a lust for life and alcohol in the eight-part series, which is already filming in and around Toronto and Hamilton. It's based on the short story collection by real-life Toronto doctor Vincent Lam. The show will debut early next year on The Movie Network.

Season 2 Mad Men Released: Here's an alert for Mad Men fans eagerly waiting to devour Season 2 in one gulp: the DVD hits stores and online sales sites today. An announcement is expected soon on what network will pick up Season 3 for broadcast in Canada and when it will air.

HBO Regains Bite: There's life after The Sopranos and Sex and the City for HBO. Its vampire series True Blood is gaining steam with its biggest audience ever for a new episode on Sunday: 3.9 million viewers. The new comedy Hung also did well, with 29 per cent more viewers for its second episode, Nielsen Media Research says.

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MTV Likes Saucy Brand: MTV has invited bad-boy British comedian-actor Russell Brand to host the Video Music Awards the second year in a row. Last year, among other things, he mocked the Jonas Brothers for their purity rings, declaring that them not having sex was like "Superman just deciding not to fly, but to go home on a bus." Brand, 34, said yesterday there will be controversy this time around. "I don't know if you're wearing a hat, but if you are, you should hold on to it." MTV also announced that country superstar Taylor Swift will perform on the show, which airs Sept. 13.

Producer Claims Lost Found: TMZ.com says a producer who worked on Baretta is suing ABC and Touchstone Television, claiming the hit show Lost is suspiciously like an unproduced TV pilot he wrote in 1977. Anthony Spinner lists similarities in his suit between the shows, including "an airplane headed to Los Angeles (that) crashes into a tropical jungle-like environment" and characters whose occupations and pasts match. He is seeking damages and a cut of profits.

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